Maybin keeps his cool to stay in Walker hunt at Gleneagles

POOR marshalling cost Gareth Maybin a possible share of the lead on day one of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in Scotland.

Maybin had to return to the tee at the first after marshals failed to spot the Ballyclare golfer’s opening tee shot drive into rough on the PGA Centenary course.

The European Tour rookie eventually walked off with a double bogey six.

However Maybin composed himself, completing six of his closing 13 holes in a three under par 69 that left him just two strokes behind Scotland’s Paul Lawrie, who leads a group of four next best on four under par.

Paul McGinley, Damien McGrane and rookie Jonathan Caldwell carded level par 72s, Gary Murphy a 73 whilst Shane Lowry a 74.

Peter Lawrie buckled under two double bogeys in a round of 76 just four days after going so close to capturing victory in Holland.

Paul Lawrie, 97th on the money list and needing to be in the top 115 in November to save his card, scored a five-under-par 67 as he began his latest bid for a first victory since the 2002 Wales Open.

The 40-year-old, still Britain’s last winner of a major, goes into the second round one ahead of a group including fellow Scot Steven O’Hara and defending champ Gregory Havret.

It was a bad day, though, for Colin Montgomerie and Thomas Bjorn.

Ryder Cup captain Montgomerie lost two balls as he slumped to a 76 – he could now miss a fourth successive cut for the first time in his European Tour career. Bjorn crashed to an 82.

This is the Dane’s first event since the start of last month. He has been suffering from dizziness and extreme fatigue and even underwent a brain scan during his lay-off.

“I’m feeling out of sorts, but that was a bit worse than I thought it’d be,” Bjorn said.

At the British Open last month, Lawrie sought help from Pádraig Harrington’s coach Bob Torrance and since then has made the journey from Aberdeen to Largs – three hours each way – five or six times.

“And I hate driving,” Lawrie said. “I looked into hiring a helicopter, but it was £2,000 for the trip and I thought that was too much.

“I get up at 4.30am to avoid the Glasgow traffic and be there for 7.30am and we have four and a half hours hitting balls before I go home.

“The first time I saw him, Bob said he didn’t see it as a major overhaul, but David Leadbetter once said that swing changes take 10,000 balls or 10,000 hours – I can’t remember which.

“I didn’t do what we worked on the first time I played. He didn’t give me a talking-to, but said we are a team and we have to work this out together.

“I’m hitting more balls and swinging in my room to get the feeling and it feels fantastic.”

lIreland’s Gareth Shaw closed with three successive birdies to finish day one of the DHL Wroclaw Open on two under par, seven shots off the pace set by Scotland’s Eric Ramsay.

Shaw’s round of 68 at Toya GC in Wroclaw, Poland, was one better than Colm Moriarty’s 69, while Noel Fox and Simon Thornton could only manage level par rounds of 70.